Multichrome Makeup Will Take Over 2024 — Here’s How to Try It

What Is Chrome Makeup?

While glittery makeup dazzles your face with sparkly flecks, multichrome and duochrome makeup create a more futuristic and galactic look with less glitz and more shine. Chrome makeup coats your features in shiny metallic colors — think of the cool, shiny colors of mechanical tools and robots. 

What Is the Difference Between Multichrome and Duochrome?

The main difference between multichrome and duochrome makeup is found at the beginning of each look’s name. Multichrome makeup consists of looks that feature chrome pigments in various colors.  In other words, you’ll see multiple chrome colors with each turn of your head. Multichrome products, like the What’s Up Beauty Dragon Eyeshadow Palette, will often look like foil on the eyelids. 

Duochrome makeup consists of chrome pigments that will shift to one additional chrome.. The Urban Decay Moondust Glitter Eyeshadow Palette is an example of a glittery eyeshadow that offers a duo-chromatic moment with a subtle shift of glitter.

3 Tips for Applying Chrome Makeup

Swap Your Brushes for Your Fingers

How you apply your makeup is just as important as the tools (brushes, sponges, etc) you use. Chromatic eyeshadows will look different depending on the way you apply them. A brush can apply a lot of pigment and is always good for layering and blending colors. However, your fingers will offer the best pigment for the first swipe. The foil colors transfer to your eyelids better with your hands' natural oils providing some extra slip in the application. Still, make sure you’re always applying your makeup with dry, clean hands. 

Spritz Setting Spray on Your Brush

If you do decide to apply your multichrome makeup or duochrome makeup with a brush, keep setting spray handy to create more vibrant foiled colors. Using an eyeshadow brush, pick up some of the chrome colors from your product of choice and lightly spray setting spray (like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Spray and Set Make-Up Oil-Free Setting Spray) over the brush. Let it sit for about three seconds before applying the pigment to your eyelids. 

Use a Colored Primer

Always start with an eyeshadow primer, like the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, for the best results. Digital creator Rose Siard created a guide to primers for multichromatic makeup featuring the same eyeshadow swatched without primer, as well as over a clear primer, a white primer and a black primer base. 

The results showed a noticeable difference with the black primer giving the best color payoff.

5 Chrome Makeup Looks to Try Now

Below, check out five chrome makeup looks worth trying now — plus products you’ll need by your side. 

Icy Blue Multichrome 

This icy chrome makeup look created by Rowi Singh takes eyeshadow up to the brow bone for an overall glitzy makeup moment. Recreate this look using the Isamaya Industrial Colour Pigments 2.0, which features 14 pigmented chromatic colors.  

Monochromatic Chrome

Subtle Silver Chrome

Metallic shades of silver are in their Renaissance era thanks to a particular performer that many of us refer to as the Queen (because she is). From silver clothing taking over runways to celebs' and beauty creators' makeup looks alike, it’s a trending color we’re on board with. Embrace a simple chrome makeup look by applying a pigmented silver eyeshadow, like the Giorgio Armani Beauty Eye Tint Long-Lasting Liquid Eyeshadow in Silver, before applying a duochrome glitter on top. Try the Urban Decay Cosmetics 24/7 Moondust Glitter Eyeshadow in Rebel Star, which offers a subtle pink sparkle with a silver base that creates a multidimensional look. 

Fiery Foiled Duochrome

Chrome makeup may seem daunting, but with the right products, you’ll have a shimmery, metallic look without endless eyeshadows and glitters. This orange-blazed look combines a burnt sienna and brown smoky eye with touches of chrome over the eyelids and the inner eye corner for a multilayered look. 

You can use one of the many warm-toned shades from the Danessa Myricks Beauty Lightwork V: I Am Palette For Eyes And Face, a favorite of Makeup.com Associate Editor Reece Andavolgyi. “The shimmery, iridescent shades in the palette are a dream in every sense of the word,” she says. “From all the colors to the intense payoff to the different glittery textures, it makes for a knockout eye look every time — and they don't crease!

Unapproachable Makeup Glam

Embrace the trend with additions of metallic chrome that give the unapproachable makeup trend a grunge spin. Makeup.com editor Ariel Wodarcyk tried this trend using the Urban Decay Naked Metal Mania Metallic Eyeshadow Palette to add chromatic tones to her eyelids for a stunning stare. This look is the perfect way to tip-toe into multichrome makeup since it only takes a few swipes of products and can be easily achieved no matter your skill level.